Geox Becomes Title Partner of Dragon Racing Team
MILAN — Geox and American racing team Dragon revealed on Wednesday a three-year partnership that will see the footwear and outerwear company becoming title partner of the Formula E racing team.
As a result, beginning in season 5 of the ABB FIA Formula E championship — which features cars powered exclusively by electric energy — the team will be renamed Geox Dragon. In addition, Geox will provide its signature breathable footwear and apparel to the pilots and team members, who travel across five continents and compete on urban circuits during the season.
Attending the announcement conference hosted at Milan’s new Torre Allianz building, Geox president and founder Mario Moretti Polegato said he is proud this is “not a sponsorship but an alliance.”
The executive shared anecdotes about when he first experienced the benefits of electric vehicles during a test drive two years ago and realized “they will mark the revolution of the automotive industry.”
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Moretti Polegato continued praising the Formula E championship for combining a global sustainable approach with advanced technologies, promoting “a culture of innovation instead of risk.”
“Geox will work to create the ideal conditions and allow pilots to maximize their performances,” he continued. “The Formula E championship will be our laboratory to research and experiment breathing and performance-oriented innovations, and this is extremely interesting for us, as we are a technological company.” In addition, the championship will serve as a platform to “carry the name of Italy across the world.”
“We are extremely excited to align ourselves with Geox,” Dragon’s owner and team principal, Jay Penske, who founded the racing team in 2007, said in a statement. Penske is also the chairman and CEO of PMC, which owns WWD. “With over 60 technological patents and a clear focus on sustainability, there are powerful synergies between Geox and Dragon. We have a unique opportunity to improve the performance and comfort of our team while also raising awareness of Geox’s ongoing work in sustainable innovation,” he added.
Headquartered in Los Angeles with additional operations in the U.K. at the Donington Park racing circuit, Dragon competed for many years in IndyCar before becoming one of the founding teams of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.
Dragon’s pilots include three-time World Touring Car Driver’s champion José María López and Formula Two race winner Maximilian Günther. Günther also attended the announcement event, during which he unveiled the Geox Dragon black and silver racing car along with Moretti Polegato and the team’s test driver, Antonio Fuoco.
Season 5 of the ABB FIA Formula E championship, which will see 11 teams and 22 pilots competing — will kick off on Dec. 15 in Saudi Arabia before touching base in 12 other cities throughout 2019. The cities include Marrakesh, Morocco; Mexico City; Hong Kong; Rome; Berlin; and New York, where the final race will take place on July 14.
This story was reported by WWD and originally appeared on WWD.com.
